Baby Makes 3 team present at National Childbirth Parent Education Association conference

The theme of the conference, held on the Sunshine Coast 12-14 October was Riding the Wave of Change in Childbirth and Parenting Education tailored to health care professionals across multiple disciplines. The conference invited presentations on the many aspects of parenting education and skill development throughout pregnancy, birth and the parenting journey.

Our Baby Makes 3 team was delighted to be invited to present a 40 minute interactive workshop on Building better balance - Applying a Gender Equality lens to Childbirth and Parenting Education.

The arrival of a families’ first baby presents a unique opportunity to disrupt gendered expectations, promote equal relationships, build better balance in parenting and ultimately support families to thrive. The Applying Gender Equality Lens to Childbirth and Parenting Education toolkit was developed to support educators in response to antenatal and maternity services being identified as a key parent touch point to embed equality principles and healthy relationship messages.

The interactive workshop presented provided attendees an opportunity to

• Explore the gendered expectations of being a parent and respectful relationships in the context of a family’s transition to parenthood
• Understand the role of antenatal and maternity services in challenging and disrupting expectations and promoting respectful relationships
• Experience a selection of the activities that focus on strengthening equal and respectful relationships

"The transition to parenthood is a pivotal stage that sets up long-term patterns in families in terms of childcare, housework and paid work and therefore presents a unique opportunity to disrupt traditional expectations of being a parent, promoting equal and respectful relationships and supporting families to build better balance right from the start" says Anita Thomas healthAbility Program Manager Baby Makes 3.

About Baby Makes 3

healthAbility’s Baby Makes 3 is an evidenced-based, education and social change initiative to build gender equality. As a health promotion intervention, Baby Makes 3 shapes long-term attitudes and social norms about parenting by challenging traditional gendered expectations of becoming a parent.

It builds mutual understanding, appreciation and respect among first-time parents as well, as the capacity of antenatal and postnatal services’ staff, structures and systems to promote gender equality by examining the gendered expectations of becoming a parent.

Are you a perinatal professional interested in supporting families to thrive by strengthening gender equality. Read More 

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